Flooding (Illustration)
Flooding (Illustration)Flash90

New York Governor Kathy Hochul spoke at a noon press conference on Thursday where city and state officials called the flooding brought on by remnants of Hurricane Ida “unprecedented” and “a literal waterfall.”

Hochul gave an update about the massive flooding that impacted the state as the storm swept through New York.

“This is not the only place in the country [where] people have been stunned by the turn of events,” she said.

Also speaking to the media was Great Neck, Long Island Mayor Ted Rosen, who described Wednesday’s flooding as a “tough time.”

“This really was [like] Niagara Falls,” he said.

Hochul on Thursday visited areas in the state impacted by the flooding, directing additional state aid to New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley region.

The storm delivered historic levels of rainfalls, causing flash floods, power outages and at least 22 fatalities across the New York and New Jersey region.

Subways, buses and trains were also temporarily halted as flood waters battered transit systems.

Hochul issued an executive order declaring a disaster in the counties of Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester.

The situation was dire in certain regions, with New York State swift water rescue crews working with first responders to evacuate over 100 trapped residents in Rockland and Westchester counties.

"New York remains under a State of Emergency for Downstate counties affected by the remnants of Ida, and the state is committed to ensuring all the necessary resources to recover from the historic and devastating flooding experienced overnight are immediately accessible and available for those severely impacted," Governor Hochul said. "I have directed all State agencies engaged in emergency response efforts to work together with our Federal and local partners to take swift and appropriate action to help these communities recover."

Multiple state agencies have been directed by the governor to take immediate actions to respond to Hurricane Ida, including the beginning of recovery measures.

“The State of Emergency eliminates potential hurdles for local response activities and provides necessary tools to ensure New Yorkers can quickly and safely recover from disaster,” said the governor’s office.